NEWARK — The New York Police Department's years-longsurveillance of Muslim businesses and mosques throughout theNortheast
denigrated the Islamic faith and violated theconstitutional rights of countless
Muslim-Americans, accordingto a federal lawsuit filed in Newark today.

The suit, which is the first legal challenge of the NYPD's spy
operations,could mark the beginning of a historical movement, said FarhanaKhera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, the civil rights groupfiling the
suit on behalf of several New Jersey residents.

"This lawsuit is perhaps
the most important legal challenge brought todate by American Muslims," Khera
said.

The eight plaintiffs are all Muslims from New Jersey and include aU.S. Army reservist, a Newark business owner who served in Vietnamand the imams
of several mosques who were targeted by the NYPDSurveillance and Demographics
unit.

The suit is calling for a "declaratory judgment" which labels
specificsurveillance of Muslims based on faith unconstitutional, said GlennKaton, the legal director for Muslim Advocates.

Katon is also seeking a
court order prohibiting the NYPD from futuresurveillance of Muslims based on
faith and the destruction of all recordscompiled by the NYPD during its spy
operations.

"When the NYPD says all Muslims are suspects we have a clear
caseof government denigrating religion," Katon
said.

The
OIC is trying to pressure Western countries to criminalize "denigration of
religion."

Katon said that while the lawsuit is focused on New
Jersey residents,further legal action could involve New York residents as well.

Muslim Advocates considered including Newark police in the lawsuit,but
ultimately there were too many conflicting reports about the extentof their
involvement in NYPD operations in New Jersey.

All eight plaintiffs were
New Jersey residents that were in one way oranother watched during NYPD's
operations including at least twomembers of Rutgers' Muslim Student
Association.

In the month since the Associated Press released a 50-page
documentdetailing the NYPD's actions in Newark, several Muslim leaders in NewJersey have spoken out on the ways the report has had a "chilling effect"on the
Muslim community.

"This is a blanket victimization of a suspect class,"
said specialist FarhajHassan, a U.S. Army reservist and one of the plaintiffs.
"I think this iswhat the pilgrims crossed the ocean to avoid."

The suit
comes two weeks after State Attorney Jeffrey Chiesa announcedthe completion of
a three-month review into the NYPD's actions in NewJersey. His office found
New York investigators did nothing wrongor criminal, leaving many Muslim
leaders in New Jersey to feel like thelawsuit was a last resort to vindicate
themselves.

"They don't have the right to spy and do surveillance on
innocent people,on good citizens," said Newark Imam Abdul Kareem Muhammad.

The NYPD could not be reached for comment immediately, but on TuesdayNYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Paul Browne said,"I refer you to
the New Jersey AG’s report and to the fact that NYPDactivities in New Jersey
were lawful, appropriate and in keeping withefforts there, in New York, and
around the world to prevent terrorists fromreturning here to kill more New
Yorkers."

My Journey

About Me

I've recently retired as a Minister in the Presbyterian Church of Wales,and am now working full-time for Voice Ministries, my media ministry, which publishes the Christian News & Views magazine called 'The Voice' in addition to my books of Christian verse, all of which come under the publishing division, Voice Publications.
Voice Ministries also has a music division called Sheer Joy Music.
I have written a large number of Hymns and Worship Songs and also a lot of easy-listening, popular songs, many of which are available on CD and which can be found in the on-line shop at www.sheerjoymusic.com
My aim in life is to serve the Lord Jesus in any and every way that I can as long as I have breath.